In April we returned from our trip to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. We had the most incredible time in the Galapagos. We traveled on a small chartered boat The Athala for four glorious nights. The ship was beautiful and the food delicious. We had a room with a private balcony. The crew was so attentive. Every time you left your room they went into it to freshen it up. It alwys looked so clean and kept. Each island we went to was noted for its own animal species. Swimming with the sea lions, watching the albatross arrive, watching the frigates and blue-footed boobies begin their courtships, watching the sea lions nurse their young were some of the highlights of our trip. If you love nature and ecology this is the place to be. By the way, the water was warm enough to swim without a wetsuit or shortie. We live in Arizona and we keep our pool at 90 degrees. We hate cold water. So take our word for it. In April the Galapagos waters are the warmest. After four wonderful nights of pampering on the Athala we we transferred to the Royal Palm Hotel on Santa Cruz for three nights. This is an incredible place.

All reviews rave about the destination, and they are right. This is a review for the new Yacht La Pinta, which we used for our May 9-16, 2008 trip. The ship and crew were beyond our expectations and we are so glad we picked them. We were nervous because the ship was new, and the itinerary didn't quite visit all the islands we'd hoped for, but every stop was a treasure and the ship's windows in the cabins, the food, and the most excellent of service from every single member/level of the crew, and the incredible work and personality of our expedition/naturalist leader made this one of the best trips I've ever had.

Wonderful and surprising are the only adjectives you can give them!
We had a beutiful cruise of 8 days-7 nights on Golondrina boat that was more confortable than we expected. The crew were nice, competent and carefull even if I can't say the same of the guide...One day the engine broken so we had to spend a further day in Santa Cruz but I suppose that could happen with every boat...
I do advise to make the 8 days cruise as each island is quite aprt to the others...

At the end of the cruise we spent a couple of day in santa cruz for diving and that was a wonderful experience as well, you can see sharks, hannerheads, turtles, every kind of tropical fishes...

We absolutely loved being in the Galapagos Islands and seeing all the iguanas, blue-footed boobies, Galapagos penguins, sea lions, giant tortoises, etc.

One good thing to know is that all your "landings" will be by Zodiacs; some landings are "wet" and some "dry". Be sure to take some Aqua shoes or Tevas for the wet landings. Also, many of the island tours with the Naturalist Guides are extremely difficult; so if you have any disabilities or don't get around well, be sure to ask before you go! AND, keep in mind that there are NO bathroom possibilities on any of the tours, and most of them last 2 1/2 to 3 hours. If you suffer from Urinary Tract problems or incontinence, be forewarned and take along anything that will help you with that; i.e., adult diapers, etc.

These islands are very primitive...that's the whole point in going where most people will never go. It's best to keep that in mind when packing for a trip there. If you are traveling to the Galapagos via cruise ship, your cruise line will send you a list of what to bring; among which will definitely be binoculars, camera(s), insect repellant, sun screen and wide-brimmed hats.

We are in our 60's, and my husband has had a heart attack; but we found all but 2 of the excursions to be relatively easy on us. One was 3 hours long and extremely difficult, as we walked on trails of lava rock, and it was very hilly and the footing was not solid. Bearing all this in mind, if you choose to visit the Galapagos, you will definitely enjoy the experience. Remember to try very hard not to leave your "carbon footprint", as the Galapagos' eco-system is very fragile.